Vanessa Angel was originally cast as Xena but couldn’t make the flight to shoot because she got sick, leading to Lucy Lawless being cast last minute. How would she have done?

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Supersoldier26-101@reddit

Wow she is one sexy beautiful lovely gorgeous lady

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LL had the right look for the Xena they were trying to create, built to look intimidating yet conventionally attractive. LL and ROC physically contrast well. ROC looked like a small village girl at the beginning of the series and by the end she was the formidable small built warrior along side of LL's larger physical presence.

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MyriVerse2@reddit

I honestly don't understand how she landed the role, unless the role was extremely different.

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No_Reindeer_3035@reddit

I have nothing against her but the Xena we got in the end was casted so perfectly. I just cannot fathom anyone else as Xena. Lucy lawless is just perfection.

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Tricky_Direction_897@reddit

Lucy IS Xena. This is why I struggle of the idea of a reboot without her cast as the main role. I really don’t think anyone else can do it justice.

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theseedbeader@reddit

That was why I struggled too. They talked about a reboot, a spin-off, a movie, or a revival for many years.

I was on board at first because fans were hoping to see the original actors reprising their roles. Then the idea became a short lived revival, followed by Xena and company handing the show off to a new generation of characters. I was less interested, but still curious.

By the time the show runners were saying that they’d make a complete reboot in which NONE of the original cast or crew would be involved, I was out. I just don’t see anyone else in those roles.

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Tricky_Direction_897@reddit

Yes all of this is exactly how I feel!

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Select_Insurance2000@reddit

Sometimes Fate steps in.

Lon Chaney died, and eventually Bela Lugosi was cast as Dracula.

Lugosi wasn't interested in playing the Frankenstein monster, and the role eventually was given to Boris Karloff.

Angel got sick....and Lawless becomes Xena.

Fate or luck? Who knows? But those who were given those roles, have created iconic characters that will last forever.

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BlueSonic85@reddit

Tom Selleck turned down Indiana Jones so Harrison Ford got hired.

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KatzAKat@reddit

He had contractual obligations that didn't allow him to take Raiders of the Lost Ark.

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Wicked68@reddit

Show would have gotten canceled. Glad she had to pass it up

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DependentNebula5611@reddit

It probably could last for one season or two. If she wasn’t sick, Lucy taking her place.

But who know, if the show would her last. She actually do in her role, if she didn’t get sick before filming schedule.

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Agent8699@reddit

Vanessa Angel already had a full-time role as Lisa on Weird Science. The studio wanted Angel as Xena as a cross promotional exercise between Weird Science and Hercules.

Even IF they liked her as Xena, they couldn’t keep her.

And her illness was rumoured to have a lot more to do with Richard Gere and an unwillingness to leave him for a thankless cameo appearance in some fantasy show filming in the middle of nowhere.

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Wicked68@reddit

From what I know of her, she didn't have the range to play Xena on her own show

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Tricky_Direction_897@reddit

I’ve read this, too

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ThisSciFiGuy@reddit

Probably not as good. I can't imagine anyone other than Lucy (or Hudson Leick) as Xena.

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antealtares@reddit

Hudson was fine for a couple episodes, but she doesn't have the humor to pull off Xena who, at times, is a very legitimately funny character. Even in episodes that aren't slapstick.

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antealtares@reddit

For instance, in Amphipolis Under Siege when Ares says "you are fighting the goddess of wisdom AND warefare" and Lucy says "don't forget weaving," it's such a subtle and hysterical read that just would not have worked at all in Hudson's mouth

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LibertineDeSade@reddit

I don't think she would have carried the show the way Lucy did. Vanessa is great in certain roles, but Xena would not have been Xena with her. She doesn't have that weird energy Lucy does. LOL.

It's like camp is in Lucy's DNA. She did drama REALLY well (underrated acting skills, IMO), but she also has impeccable comedic timing. Xena is essentially out of her mind and Lucy plays that well both dramatically and comically.

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Eclectic-Storm777@reddit

I honestly don't think that their would've been a Xena show.

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Latte-Catte@reddit

Xena would've stayed femme fatale forever. And let's not forget it was Lucy Lawless' performance as the warrior princess that greenlight the executive approval for Tapert to make a spinoff Xena show. If it was Vanessa Angel as Xena, it would probably be the Xena trilogy one and done on Hercules.

Plus, I LOVE Lucy's spin on Xena. Giving her a serious, boyish, bravada, it made her intimidating the first season around. Especially in contrast with Renee's bubbly Gabrielle performance. Trope be troping and they truly made the characters complete. I wouldn't have it any other way.

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thecannoli2@reddit

It really is such a credit to Lucy's acting the way she played her. I feel like it was her that gave Xena the nuance and dimensions (writing was great too, tho!). The subtle mannerisms, the rhythm of her speaking, hell, even her gait. I know she doesn't give a shit about accolades, but I wish more people gave her recognition for her talent.

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Tricky_Direction_897@reddit

Same here! Her performance was grossly underrated. She is a very talented actress

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hear_the_thunder@reddit

Vanessa is pretty awesome but Lucy is Xena. Such a great era of television.

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ivyentre@reddit

Rob Tapert would've married her, maybe.

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Agent8699@reddit

Xena would be much more of a femme fatale, like her original appearance, and would have died in the third episode given Vanessa Angel was already busy with her role as Lisa on Weird Science.

“Xena” probably would have been a largely forgettable character. Maybe Tapert would have tried again later on in Hercules with a more formidable warrior woman. I’m not overly familiar with Nebula and Morrigan, but they seem pretty popular.

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AvocadoPizzaCat@reddit

I don't think she would have done well at all. don't get me wrong, she can act. But she is, too gentle sounding. Xena the character is powerful, strong, can make you trust her with just a look for fighting a battle. This actor/actress(the terms used change a lot), is too soft appearance and voice. she would have done better as Gabrielle than xena. However i would not have changed the cast anyways. The only ways this would work is if she was more callisto coded. Not sure she would have the range for that either. the series had a lot of screaming and shouting.

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IseQween@reddit

I bless this Angel for enabling the Fates to spin the improbable sequence of events that led to Lucy's obviously ordained role to breathe life into Xena. I can't imagine anyone else -- however wonderful an actor -- creating a more indelible Warrior Princess.

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Significant-Deer7464@reddit

2 seasons at most and much lower ratings

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Severe_Extension2102@reddit

I can’t imagine anybody, but Lucy lawless. Her fire, drive., and compassion showed through her performance. Sometimes shows get lucky with wonderful chemistry between the actors.

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DependentNebula5611@reddit

If Vanessa wasn’t sick before the filming deadline, I wonder how show go with her as Warrior Princess.

Lucy never became the Warrior Princess, there was no need for her to take role.

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Yndrid@reddit

Nothing against this woman’s acting because I am not familiar with it. But yeah. Lucy really invented who Xena is and how she feels as a character and I can’t really imagine her being played by anyone else. Maybe there are other people who could have played the character and made the show as popular as it was! But I kinda doubt it

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WtkDcBwd54&ab_channel=happykt

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SporadicTendancies@reddit

Oh that was a treat!